As is known to those skilled in the art, there is a high level of concern in medical circles for improving cost effectiveness while achieving and maintaining reliability and accuracy in performing diagnostics. Included within such concern are laboratory procedures such as those involving scanning and interpreting diagnostic samples, e.g., blood. To improve rapidity, specimen integrity, accuracy and cost effectiveness, there have been proposed automated scanning and computerized processing of microscopic specimens; examples being those represented by the Micro21 brand microscopic review system manufactured and sold by Intelligent Medical Imaging, Inc. of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. According to such microscopic review system, medical technologists can load into the system a large number of slides each carrying a discrete specimen; and the computer performs the task of searching and scanning each specimen, counting items (e.g., blood cells) and performing relevant classifications. The results are then displayed on a conventional screen for examination and evaluation by interested medical personnel.
In conducting the foregoing automated processing, it has heretofore been the practice to load several slides in side-by-side relationship within a holder. The holder is then inserted into a scanner for scanning and processing. However, prior practice has been to secure specimen slides in place within a holder by using two strips of adhesive tape. Moreover, when the number of slides to be processed does not equal the capacity of the holder, it has been difficult to fix their position with a level of accuracy needed for the scanning equipment to quickly locate their operating centers, thus extending the length of time required for processing.
As is known to those skilled in the art, there are two sizes of slides that are generally considered to be standards and therefore are normally encountered in many hospitals, laboratories and other processing centers. These, respectively are those of 1.0 mm and 1.2. mm thickness.
When adhesive tape has been employed to hold slides within a slide holder, various problems have been encountered, among them being: (1) loss of adhesion due to oils and reagents coming into contact with the adhesive; and (2) non-repeatability of positioning of the slides parallel and perpendicular to the view plane.